Rebecca Lelli
American Education
15 September 2014
My High School Experience
My high school experience was somewhat different then the average student's experience. The high school I went to itself was a good one; I got good grades, played sports, and spent time with friends. Yet one of the most difficult times of my life occurred within those four years. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in January of my sophomore year. For those who don't know, Crohn's disease is a stomach disorder in which the intestines do not function properly. Struggling with something so strange and new to me helped me become a better person.
Ninth grade passed normally for me, almost uneventfully as a tried to grow accustomed to high school. I joined Chorus as usual, made the J.V. softball team in the spring, and somehow managed to fit in babysitting the next door neighbor's dog. The summer before my sophomore year I tried out for and made the J.V. volleyball team. Practice was every day except for Sundays for two hours, and was physically and emotionally demanding, but I loved it. But towards the end of the season, my stomach began bothering me. At first, I attributed it to the stress of keeping up with school work and eating junk food because I was too lazy to make real food. But the problem grew steadily worse, and I would always end up in the nurse's office before the school day was over needing to go home. Finally, in frustration I refused to go back to school until I got some answers.
During Christmas break, my doctor ran some tests and informed me I had Crohn's disease. Of course, initially this had no effect on me since I had no idea what Crohn's was. Eventually, through multiple doctor's appointments I discovered that I would have to try different medications and hope something worked, and that Crohn's would never go away completely but that I could go into remission, which means I would experience little or no symptoms. However, the doctor warned, a "flare up" could happen any time. A flare up is when Crohn's creates a stricture in the intestines and the person affected cannot eat without being sick. So we began to try different medications, some which helped a little but had terrible side affects, and others that had no affect at all that I could tell. Somehow I made it out of sophomore year with my grades intact, with the help of some tutors. By the next school year, I told myself, things would be better and I would be able to go back to school full time. Maybe even play volleyball!
Unfortunately, I had aimed much too high. Before junior year started, I realized that I was in no shape to return to school, much less a physically demanding sport like volleyball. So with my parent's help, I began homeschooling. In October I had a flare up, and had to go to the hospital for several days, being able to eat no more than jello and some saltine crackers. The doctors decided to start a newer medication, which was done by infusion (or intravenously) every few weeks. When I returned home, I was plagued by anxiety. I fearfully imagined the worst every time I left home, scared that I would be attacked by pain again. My parents decided to put me in a program connected to Hasbro Hospital, which had an outpatient program to deal with just these kinds of situations. I met other kids my age there, and was surprised that many of them were in harder situations than I was. My self-sympathy began to dwindle, realizing that what I was experiencing was not the worst thing in the world and that I was (and still am) more fortunate than many.
With new tools on how to handle my anxiety, I began to push myself to get out of the house, which had become a safety net for me. I worked hard at my homeschooling and the infusion medication began to make me feel better. Eventually, I felt well enough to join the softball team again my junior year, and I was surprised by how well I handled it. By senior year, I was ready to return to school full time, but this time I kept my self-confidence in check and decided against joining the volleyball team. If it was so difficult when I was completely healthy, why risk everything by pushing myself too hard while I was still sick? So senior year I chose classes I needed to take to graduate and caught up on my Portfolio (which was a graduation requirement). I joined the softball team again in the spring because I felt I could handle it well, which I did. I applied to colleges and scholarships and I became, in every sense of the word, just like the normal kid I was before Crohn's. Crohn's disease no longer defined me, it was simply a small aspect of my very complex life.
Ultimately, Crohn's disease also helped me choose my major for college. Since I had been home schooled my junior year, I had been able to go with my mom to the daycare she worked at and help out. I realized I connected with kids on many levels, and I wanted to work with them outside of a classroom setting. So I found Human Development and Family Studies was a major here at URI and it seemed to fit well. Maybe its cheesy, but I know I would not be the person I am today without Crohn's disease. The struggle to graduate at the same time as my classmates and to manage my symptoms made me work harder and under more stress than I had ever experienced before. It made me realize that I could overcome any obstacle I faced, even if it seemed impossible. I feel I am more understanding and sensitive about the difficulties other people are dealing with, even if they are not visible upon first glance. Because these events took place during high school, they are definitely the most important part of my high school experience and helped shape me into the person I am today.
American Education
15 September 2014
My High School Experience
My high school experience was somewhat different then the average student's experience. The high school I went to itself was a good one; I got good grades, played sports, and spent time with friends. Yet one of the most difficult times of my life occurred within those four years. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in January of my sophomore year. For those who don't know, Crohn's disease is a stomach disorder in which the intestines do not function properly. Struggling with something so strange and new to me helped me become a better person.
Ninth grade passed normally for me, almost uneventfully as a tried to grow accustomed to high school. I joined Chorus as usual, made the J.V. softball team in the spring, and somehow managed to fit in babysitting the next door neighbor's dog. The summer before my sophomore year I tried out for and made the J.V. volleyball team. Practice was every day except for Sundays for two hours, and was physically and emotionally demanding, but I loved it. But towards the end of the season, my stomach began bothering me. At first, I attributed it to the stress of keeping up with school work and eating junk food because I was too lazy to make real food. But the problem grew steadily worse, and I would always end up in the nurse's office before the school day was over needing to go home. Finally, in frustration I refused to go back to school until I got some answers.
During Christmas break, my doctor ran some tests and informed me I had Crohn's disease. Of course, initially this had no effect on me since I had no idea what Crohn's was. Eventually, through multiple doctor's appointments I discovered that I would have to try different medications and hope something worked, and that Crohn's would never go away completely but that I could go into remission, which means I would experience little or no symptoms. However, the doctor warned, a "flare up" could happen any time. A flare up is when Crohn's creates a stricture in the intestines and the person affected cannot eat without being sick. So we began to try different medications, some which helped a little but had terrible side affects, and others that had no affect at all that I could tell. Somehow I made it out of sophomore year with my grades intact, with the help of some tutors. By the next school year, I told myself, things would be better and I would be able to go back to school full time. Maybe even play volleyball!
Unfortunately, I had aimed much too high. Before junior year started, I realized that I was in no shape to return to school, much less a physically demanding sport like volleyball. So with my parent's help, I began homeschooling. In October I had a flare up, and had to go to the hospital for several days, being able to eat no more than jello and some saltine crackers. The doctors decided to start a newer medication, which was done by infusion (or intravenously) every few weeks. When I returned home, I was plagued by anxiety. I fearfully imagined the worst every time I left home, scared that I would be attacked by pain again. My parents decided to put me in a program connected to Hasbro Hospital, which had an outpatient program to deal with just these kinds of situations. I met other kids my age there, and was surprised that many of them were in harder situations than I was. My self-sympathy began to dwindle, realizing that what I was experiencing was not the worst thing in the world and that I was (and still am) more fortunate than many.
With new tools on how to handle my anxiety, I began to push myself to get out of the house, which had become a safety net for me. I worked hard at my homeschooling and the infusion medication began to make me feel better. Eventually, I felt well enough to join the softball team again my junior year, and I was surprised by how well I handled it. By senior year, I was ready to return to school full time, but this time I kept my self-confidence in check and decided against joining the volleyball team. If it was so difficult when I was completely healthy, why risk everything by pushing myself too hard while I was still sick? So senior year I chose classes I needed to take to graduate and caught up on my Portfolio (which was a graduation requirement). I joined the softball team again in the spring because I felt I could handle it well, which I did. I applied to colleges and scholarships and I became, in every sense of the word, just like the normal kid I was before Crohn's. Crohn's disease no longer defined me, it was simply a small aspect of my very complex life.
Ultimately, Crohn's disease also helped me choose my major for college. Since I had been home schooled my junior year, I had been able to go with my mom to the daycare she worked at and help out. I realized I connected with kids on many levels, and I wanted to work with them outside of a classroom setting. So I found Human Development and Family Studies was a major here at URI and it seemed to fit well. Maybe its cheesy, but I know I would not be the person I am today without Crohn's disease. The struggle to graduate at the same time as my classmates and to manage my symptoms made me work harder and under more stress than I had ever experienced before. It made me realize that I could overcome any obstacle I faced, even if it seemed impossible. I feel I am more understanding and sensitive about the difficulties other people are dealing with, even if they are not visible upon first glance. Because these events took place during high school, they are definitely the most important part of my high school experience and helped shape me into the person I am today.